Use of capi-attached storage as extended memory

ABSTRACT

Improved techniques for memory expansion are provided. A storage volume is opened on a storage device attached to a computing system, and the storage volume is configured as extended memory. A number of hardware threads available in the computing system are determined, and a number of contexts equal to the determined number of hardware threads are generated. Each context is assigned to one of the hardware threads. It is further determined that a first hardware thread has requested a first page that has been paged to the storage volume, where the first hardware thread is assigned a first context. A synchronous input output (I/O) interface is accessed to request that the first page be moved to memory, based on the first context. While the first page is being moved to memory, a priority of the first hardware thread is reduced.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to memory management, and morespecifically, to utilizing optimized storage interfaces to extend systemmemory.

Computing systems rely on memory (sometimes generically referred to as“main memory” or as random access memory, or RAM) for storing data thatis currently being operated on by applications, operating systems, andthe like. Preferably, the memory is a relatively fast method of storagethat provides rapid input and output. Generally, increasing the size ofthe available memory also improves the functioning of the computer.However, memory sizes are limited by a variety of factors. Manycomputing systems have a limited number of slots that can accept memory.Many systems are similarly limited in what range of memory can bephysically addressed by the processor. Further, even without suchlimitations, memory is a relatively expensive form of storage, which maymake it impractical to continuously purchase more. Additionally, othercheaper and more expandable options (such as external hard drives) areunsuitable for use as memory because of the relatively slow I/O theyprovide, as compared to memory.

SUMMARY

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a method isprovided. The method includes opening a storage volume on a storagedevice attached to a computing system, and configuring the storagevolume as extended memory. The method further includes determining anumber of hardware threads available in the computing system, generatinga number of contexts equal to the determined number of hardware threads,and assigning each context to one of the hardware threads. Additionally,the method includes determining that a first hardware thread hasrequested a first page that has been paged to the storage volume,wherein the first hardware thread is assigned a first context. Themethod also includes accessing a synchronous input output (I/O)interface to request that the first page be moved to memory, based onthe first context, and while the first page is being moved to memory,reducing a priority of the first hardware thread.

According to a second embodiment of the present disclosure, a computerprogram product is disclosed. The computer program product includes acomputer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program codeembodied therewith, the computer-readable program code executable by oneor more computer processors to perform an operation. The operationincludes opening a storage volume on a storage device attached to acomputing system, and configuring the storage volume as extended memory.The operation further includes determining a number of hardware threadsavailable in the computing system, generating a number of contexts equalto the determined number of hardware threads, and assigning each contextto one of the hardware threads. Additionally, the operation includesdetermining that a first hardware thread has requested a first page thathas been paged to the storage volume, wherein the first hardware threadis assigned a first context. The operation also includes accessing asynchronous input output (I/O) interface to request that the first pagebe moved to memory, based on the first context, and while the first pageis being moved to memory, reducing a priority of the first hardwarethread.

According to a third embodiment of the present disclosure, a system isdisclosed. The system includes one or more computer processors, and amemory containing a program which when executed by the one or morecomputer processors performs an operation. The operation includesopening a storage volume on a storage device attached to a computingsystem, and configuring the storage volume as extended memory. Theoperation further includes determining a number of hardware threadsavailable in the computing system, generating a number of contexts equalto the determined number of hardware threads, and assigning each contextto one of the hardware threads. Additionally, the operation includesdetermining that a first hardware thread has requested a first page thathas been paged to the storage volume, wherein the first hardware threadis assigned a first context. The operation also includes accessing asynchronous input output (I/O) interface to request that the first pagebe moved to memory, based on the first context, and while the first pageis being moved to memory, reducing a priority of the first hardwarethread.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a computing system configured toutilize extended memory, according to one embodiment disclosed herein.

FIG. 2 illustrates two systems configured to make use of memoryexpansion in different ways, according to one embodiment disclosedherein.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of opening a storagevolume for extended memory, according to one embodiment disclosedherein.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of using an extendedmemory storage volume, according to one embodiment disclosed herein.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of using an extendedmemory storage volume, according to one embodiment disclosed herein.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of extending systemmemory, according to one embodiment disclosed herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods, systems, andcomputer program products that enable the attachment and configurationof storage devices in a way that allows for them to be used as extendedmemory for computing systems. In embodiments, the manner in which thestorage device is configured provides far faster access than otherexisting methods, and is sufficiently fast to be used to extend thememory available in the system. Similarly, in embodiments, this extendedmemory is readily expandable to sizes far exceeding what is available intraditional solutions. This dramatic increase in available memory cansignificantly improve the functioning of the computing system.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a storage device (such asflash memory, a solid state drive (SSD), and the like) can be attachedvia an optimized interface that allows the device to directly access thememory of the system. For example, in one embodiment, the device isattached to the computing system utilizing a Coherent AcceleratorProcessor Interface, or CAPI, developed by International BusinessMachines® of Armonk, N.Y. In an embodiment, the storage device isattached using an optimized interface that allows for direct access tothe memory of the system. In embodiments, CAPI-attached devices and theCPU(s) on the computing system share the same coherent memory space.Because the CPU and CAPI-attached devices share the same memory space,low latency and high bandwidth can be achieved as no direct memoryaccess mapping or memory shuffling is needed between the CPU and theCAPI-attached device. In some embodiments, the processor(s) andapplication(s) executing on the computing system see the attachedstorage device as memory, rather than as an attached input/output (I/O)device. In an embodiment, an optimized driver on an interface with thedevice (as opposed to a software driver operating on the computingsystem) provides rapid access to the storage device when requested.

In order to provide additional memory, some systems utilize paging,which involves transferring unused segments or pages to paging devicesvia traditional I/O interfaces. This transfer is slow, however, whichreduces the efficiency of the system. Similarly, some systems utilizein-memory compression to dynamically compress portions of memory, and“page” memory into and out of these compressed blocks as needed.However, these systems require either additional hardware to perform thecompression and decompression, or require resources from theprocessor(s), which may negatively impact other processes orapplications. In embodiments of the present disclosure, rather thantransferring segments or pages out to a paging device or compressingthem in memory, pages are transferred to and from the extended memory(e.g., a storage volume on a device attached via CAPI). In anembodiment, the storage device or computing system includes a driver(such as a CAPI Flash driver) that handles the transfer. This interfaceis streamlined and allows for rapid transfer.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a Computing System 105 configuredto utilize extended memory, according to one embodiment disclosedherein. As illustrated, the Computing System 105 includes a Processor110, a Memory 115, Extended Memory 120, I/O Storage 122, and a NetworkInterface 125. In the illustrated embodiment, Processor 110 retrievesand executes programming instructions stored in Memory 115 as well asstores and retrieves application data residing in I/O Storage 122.Processor 110 is representative of a single CPU, multiple CPUs, a singleCPU having multiple processing cores, and the like. Memory 115 isgenerally included to be representative of a random access memory.Through the Network Interface 125, the Computing System 105 may becommunicatively coupled with other devices, for example, via theInternet.

Extended Memory 120 generally represents a logical storage volume (alsoreferred to as a LUN) on a storage device, such as an SSD, attached viaan optimized interface that enables direct access between the ExtendedMemory 120 and the Memory 115. In embodiments, the I/O Storage 120 isconfigured for traditional I/O use, and may be a disk drive orflash-based storage device, may include fixed and/or removable storagedevices, such as fixed disk drives, removable memory cards, or opticalstorage, network attached storage (NAS), or storage area-network (SAN).In some embodiments, the I/O Storage 122 may also comprise a storagevolume or LUN on a device attached via an optimized interface, similarlyto the Extended Memory 120. In some embodiments, the Extended Memory 120and I/O Storage 122 may operate as separate LUNs on the same storagedevice. In an embodiment, the Extended Memory 120 and I/O Storage 122are differentiated by the configuration selected when the respectivevolumes were opened, as will be discussed in more detail below.

In the illustrated embodiment, during execution, Application Data 130Aresides in Memory 115. For example, as applications are executed by theProcessor 110, their data may be stored in the Memory 115. In theillustrated embodiment, the Memory 115 also includes a Memory Manager133, which manages the memory of the Computing System 105. In someembodiments, the Memory Manager 133 may operate as a hypervisor (or as acomponent of a hypervisor) to manage virtual to physical memory mappingsfor one or more logical partitions (LPARs). In some embodiments, theMemory Manager 133 handles the opening and configuration of LUNs asExtended Memory 120 and/or I/O Storage 122, as will be discussed in moredetail below. As illustrated, the Memory Manager 133 also includes aMemory Expansion Component 135, which is used to control the transfer ofpages between the main Memory 115 and Extended Memory 120 as needed.

In one embodiment, the Memory Expansion Component 135 operates in asimilar fashion to IBM's Active Memory Expansion (AME), whichdynamically transfers data between a compressed pool and an uncompressedpool in memory. Rather than compressing the data, however, in anembodiment, the Memory Expansion Component 135 calls an applicationprogramming interface (API) of the Extended Memory 120 (e.g., a CAPIFlash driver) to transfer the page to or from the Extended Memory 120.That is, in an embodiment, the Memory Expansion Component 135 monitorssegment or page access on the Computing System 105 and transfers pagesfrom Extended Memory 120 into Memory 115 if they are needed. Similarly,the Memory Expansion Component 135 transfers pages from Memory 115 toExtended Memory 120 if additional space is needed in Memory 115 (e.g.,if a page needs to be transferred in, or if a new application or LPAR isinitialized). Thus, in an embodiment, while the Memory Manager 13 maymaintain a mapping between virtual addresses used by applications andLPARs and the physical addresses in Memory 115, the Memory ExpansionComponent 135 may maintain a separate mapping between Memory 115 and theattached Extended Memory 120, in order to determine the location of eachpage.

Thus, as illustrated, some Application Data 130B reside in the ExtendedMemory 120. In an embodiment, the Application Data 130B includes pageswhich are used less frequently, or which have not been accessed for apredefined period of time, and were thus transferred out of main Memory115 by the Memory Expansion Component 135. If a page in Extended Memory120 is requested by an entity on the Computing System 105 (e.g., by anapplication, which may be operating on an LPAR), the Memory ExpansionComponent 135 transfers it into Memory 115, which may requiretransferring one or more pages from Memory 115 to the Extended Memory120. In some embodiments, the Computing System 105 may also make use ofone or more other related techniques to acquire additional memory space,such as using traditional paging devices, storing data in I/O Storage122, and the like.

In an embodiment, when the Extended Memory 120 is initialized and opened(e.g., by the Memory Manager 133), it is configured in an “extendedmemory” mode, rather than a traditional I/O mode. In such an embodiment,the Extended Memory 120 operates with optimized kernel interfaces and isnot available for traditional I/O. For example, while traditional I/Orequires APIs that interact with upper layers of the file system, theoptimized interface requires only lower level APIs that read and writedirectly to and from the Memory 115 and Extended Memory 120, utilizingphysical hardware addresses and virtual addresses represented in amapping. Similarly, in embodiments, this optimized interface providessynchronous access, while a traditional I/O interface is asynchronous.In some embodiments, upon opening a logical storage unit (also referredto as a LUN) in the Extended Memory 120, a different context isgenerated for each hardware thread on the system, as will be discussedin more detail below. In an embodiment, this allows for synchronousstorage with lockless access to reduce latency. For traditional I/Ointerfaces (which provide asynchronous access), this one-to-one mappingdoes not exist, and thus lockless I/O is not possible. In someembodiments, a single storage device may have multiple LUNs opened onit. In some embodiments, each LUN may be opened in either extendedmemory mode or I/O mode, even within a single device.

FIG. 2 illustrates two systems 200A and 200B configured to make use ofmemory expansion in different ways, according to one embodimentdisclosed herein. In the illustrated embodiment, the system 200A isconfigured to use a traditional paging device, such as I/O Storage 122,while the system 200B is configured to use Extended Memory 120 attachedusing optimized interfaces, as described herein. As illustrated, thesystem 100A must use a software Driver 215 to transfer Application Data210A and 210B between Memory 115 and I/O Storage 122. For example,suppose Application Data 210A corresponds to address space reserved fora particular logical partition (LPAR). In order to transfer the data toI/O Storage 122, the Processor 205A must first copy the data to theaddress space used by the Driver 215, which then copies it to the I/OStorage 122. This process is duplicative and uses significant computingresources, which increases the latency and resource usage of theprocess. Further, even if this duplicative copying is removed, the useof the I/O Storage 122 requires more complex APIs and additionalinstructions which can delay the transfer.

In contrast, when the system 200B moves data to and from the ExtendedMemory 120, an optimized Interface 220 is used which utilizesstreamlined APIs. In the illustrated embodiment, the Interface 220 canread and write directly from Memory 115, as well as Extended Memory 120,which dramatically improves the latency and throughput of the system. Asdiscussed above, in some embodiments, the Interface 220 is a CAPI Flashadapter. In embodiments, CAPI adapters do not require translationcontrol entry (TCE) to access memory, as the adapter contains its ownaddress translations and exception generation logic. This allows theCAPI device to access memory directly using the segment table andhardware page table. In an embodiment, the Interface 220 uses a segmenttable that maps all of Memory 115 for I/O, which reduces the I/O pathand improves latency involved in transferring data to and from theExtended Memory 120. As illustrated, the Extended Memory 120 is coherentbecause it access Memory 115 directly, without the need forintermediaries like the Driver 215. Further, because a separate contextis generated for each hardware thread in the Computing System 105, theExtended Memory 120 provides lockless I/O.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating a method 300 of opening a storagevolume for extended memory, according to one embodiment disclosedherein. The method 300 begins at block 305, where the Memory Manager 133opens a LUN as extended memory. As discussed above, in embodiments, forthe LUN to operate as extended memory, it must reside on a storagedevice that is attached via an optimized hardware interface, such asCAPI. Further, as discussed above, in an embodiment, opening the LUN inextended memory mode involves configuring the LUN to utilize optimizedinterface(s) that operate on a lower level of the file system, andprovide synchronous and lockless access to the LUN. In variousembodiments, the LUN may be opened by an operating system or otherapplication executing on the Computing System 105, by Memory Manager133, by the Memory Expansion Component 135, by a user or administrator,or by another entity. The method 300 proceeds to block 310, where theMemory Manager 133 generates a pre-mapping of the system Memory 115.

In an embodiment, generating the pre-mapping involves generating asegment table that maps all of the system Memory 115 for I/O. In oneembodiment, the segment table includes a mapping from the entirephysical address range in Memory 115 to a virtual address space of themain Memory 115, which is used by the CAPI adapter (i.e., Interface 220)to access the Memory 115. As the Interface 220 works based on thevirtual address space of the system, this segment table allows theInterface 220 to map the virtual addresses to the physical address spaceof the Memory 115. In an embodiment, this mapping is distinct from themappings maintained by either the Memory Manager 133 or the MemoryExpansion Component 135. The method 300 then continues to block 315,where the Memory Manager 133 identifies all of the hardware threads inthe Computing System 105. In an embodiment, a hardware thread refers toa processing core. For example, if the Computing System 105 has oneprocessor with four cores, there are four hardware threads in thesystem. Similarly, if the Computing System 105 includes two processors,each with four cores, there are eight hardware threads in the ComputingSystem 105. Once the Memory Manager 133 has identified all of theavailable hardware threads, the method 300 proceeds to block 320. Insome embodiments, rather than the Memory Manager 133 identifying thehardware threads, the Interface 220 of the storage device queries thekernel service to identify each hardware thread.

At block 320, the Memory Manager 133 selects a first hardware thread ofthe Computing System 105. In some embodiments, the Interface 220 insteadselects a hardware thread. The method 300 then proceeds to block 325,where the Memory Manager 133 generates and assigns a context to theselected hardware thread. However, in some embodiments, the Interface220 instead generates the contexts for each hardware thread andassociates each thread with a context. In an embodiment, the contextincludes any queues and other information that the Interface 220 needsto transfer pages to and from Memory 115. For example, in an embodiment,each of the generated contexts includes a respective queue pair. In oneembodiment, each respective queue pair includes a submission queue and aresponse queue. To send a command to an adapter (such as Interface 220),it is placed in the submission queue. Once the request is completed, theresponse is placed in the response queue. In an embodiment, thegenerated context also includes the pre-mapping (i.e., the segmenttable) that was generated in block 310 above. In an embodiment, ratherthan include the entire segment table, the context includes anindication of the segment table, such as an address where the segmenttable can be located. The method 300 then continues to block 330, whereit is determined whether there are additional hardware threads in thesystem.

If there is at least one more additional hardware thread, the method 300returns to block 320, where the Memory Manager 133 or Interface 220selects the next hardware thread. If not, the method 300 terminates atblock 335. In this way, each hardware thread in the Computing System 105has its own context generated and associated with it. In an embodiment,each context therefore has its own respective queue pair. In someembodiments, the pre-mapped segment table is shared across all contexts.That is, in an embodiment, each of the contexts utilize the same segmenttable for translation between physical addresses in Memory 115 and asystem-wide virtual address provided to identify the page that is to betransferred. In some embodiments, the segment table is generated whenthe LUN is opened, and remains static during operation. After thecompletion of the method 300, whenever a request to transfer a page toor from Extended Memory 120 is received, the Interface 220 can identifythe context associated with the request (i.e., based on the hardwarethread that requested the transfer), and use that context to transferthe requested page.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating a method 400 of using an extendedmemory storage volume, according to one embodiment disclosed herein. Themethod begins at block 400, where the Memory Expansion Component 135determines to access Extended Memory 120. As discussed above, in anembodiment, the Memory Expansion Component 135 monitors when pages areaccessed or requested by the various applications and LPARs that may beexecuting on the Computing System 105. When a page that is currentlyresiding in the Extended Memory 120 is requested (as reflected in themapping maintained by the Memory Expansion Component 135), the MemoryExpansion Component 135 may determine that the Extended Memory 120 needsto be accessed to retrieve the page. Similarly, in an embodiment, whenadditional space is needed in Memory 115, the Memory Expansion Component135 may determine that one or more of the pages in Memory 115 should bemoved to the Extended Memory 120. Thus, in an embodiment, block 405 mayrepresent a determination to transfer one or more pages to or fromExtended Memory 120, or to both transfer one or more pages in, and totransfer one or more pages out.

The method 400 then proceeds to block 410, where the Memory ExpansionComponent 135 calls the synchronous I/O Interface 220 to requesttransfer of the identified page(s). At block 415, the Interface 220 (oran optimized driver therein) identifies the context corresponding to therequest. For example, as discussed above, in an embodiment, theInterface 220 may determine which hardware thread requested the page betransferred, and identify the corresponding associated context which wasgenerated and associated with the thread when the LUN was opened. Themethod 400 then proceeds to block 420, where the Interface 220 beginstransfer of the page using the identified context. For example, asdiscussed above, the Interface 220 may utilize the page table associatedwith the identified context to determine the relevant address(es), andmay utilize the queue pair to facilitate the transfer.

The method 400 continues to block 425, where the Interface 220 reducesthe priority of the hardware thread that requested the transfer. Forexample, in an embodiment, the Interface 220 (or a driver therein) mayaccess a service provided by the kernel and/or operating system toreduce the simultaneous multi-thread (SMT) priority of the hardwarethread. In this way, although the transfer is performed synchronouslyand continues spinning until completion, it is lockless and thereduction in the priority of the thread prevents interference or delayof other hardware threads that are executing on the Computing System105. At block 430, the Interface 220 determines whether the transfer hasbeen completed. If not, the method 400 continues to loop until thetransfer completes. Of course, in embodiments, other hardware threadsmay continue to operate normally, and the transfer is lockless. Thus, insome embodiments, one or more other hardware threads may also initiate atransfer to or from Extended Memory 120, and may therefore also enterthis loop until their respective transfers are completed.

Once the transfer is completed, the method 400 continues to block 435,where the Interface 220 resets the priority of the hardware thread, andat block 440, the call is returned to the Memory Expansion Component 135so that normal operation can resume. As discussed above, in someembodiments, the Interface 220 is configured to provide both optimizedaccess to Extended Memory 120, as well as traditional I/O access forordinary storage. Thus, in some embodiments, a single storage hardwaredevice may include multiple LUNs, each of which may be configured foreither extended memory use or for traditional storage use. In anembodiment, because the extended memory configuration involves locklesssynchronous transfers, the other LUN(s) can continue to operate asnormally.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating a method 500 of using an extendedmemory storage volume, according to one embodiment disclosed herein. Inthe illustrated embodiment, the method 500 begins at block 505, wherethe Memory Manager 133 receives a request to access a page. As discussedabove, this request may be initiated by an application, program, LPAR,or other entity. Similarly, as discussed above, in some embodiments, theMemory Manager 133 may generally maintain a mapping to performtranslations between the virtual address provided by the requestingentity and the hardware address in Memory 115 where the page is located.At block 510, the Memory Manager 133 or Memory Expansion Component 135determines whether the requested page is currently in Memory 115. To doso, as discussed above, the Memory Expansion Component 135 may maintaina separate mapping that indicates where each page or block is currentlystored. If the page is available in Memory 115, the Memory Manager 133returns the requested page (or an address of the page), and the method500 ends.

If the page is currently residing in the Extended Memory 120, the MemoryExpansion Component 135 determines whether there is sufficient space inMemory 115 for the page. If so, the method 500 proceeds to block 520,where the Memory Expansion Component 135 moves the identified page fromExtended Memory 120 to Memory 115. In some embodiments, determiningwhether there is sufficient space in Memory 115 involves determiningwhether the space in Memory 115 that is allocated to the requestingentity has sufficient space. As discussed above, the transfer mayinvolve calling an API of the Interface 220 to facilitate the transfer.Finally, when the call is returned (indicating that the transfer wascompleted), the Memory Manager 133 returns an indication of the page tothe requesting entity, and the method 500 terminates at block 540.

Returning to block 515, if the page is in Extended Memory 120 and thereis not sufficient space in Memory 115 (or sufficient space in thesection of Memory 115 that is allocated for the requesting applicationor LPAR), the method 500 proceeds to block 525, where the MemoryExpansion Component 135 identifies a page to transfer to Extended Memory120. In one embodiment, this identification is based on identifying theoldest page in Memory 115 (i.e., the page that has been in Memory 115the longest). In a related embodiment, this determination involvesidentifying any page that is older than a predefined or dynamicthreshold. In some embodiments, this determination is based onidentifying a page that has not been accessed for a predefined period oftime. Of course, in various embodiments, this identification can bebased on various other factors.

Once a page has been identified to transfer to Extended Memory 120, themethod 500 proceeds to block 530, where the Memory Expansion Component135 transfers the identified page to Extended Memory 120. Inembodiments, this may entail calling one or more optimized APIs of theInterface 220, as discussed in reference to FIG. 4 above. Once thistransfer has been completed and the call returned, the method 500proceeds to block 535, where the Memory Expansion Component 135transfers the requested page into Memory 115. Similarly, as discussedabove, this may entail calling the Interface 220 with a reference to thedesired page. When this returns, the segment or page address is returnedto the requesting entity and the method 500 terminates at block 540.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating a method 600 of extending systemmemory, according to one embodiment disclosed herein. The method 600begins at block 605, where the Memory Manager 133 opens a storage volumeon a storage device attached to a computing system. At block 610, theMemory Manager 133 configures the storage volume as extended memory. Themethod 600 then proceeds to block 615, where a number of hardwarethreads available in the computing system is determined. At block 620, anumber of contexts are generated, where the number of contexts equalsthe determined number of hardware threads, and at block 625, eachcontext is assigned to one of the hardware threads. The method 600 thencontinues to block 630, where Memory Manager 133 determines that a firsthardware thread has requested a first page that has been paged to thestorage volume, wherein the first hardware thread is assigned a firstcontext. At block 635, the Memory Manager 133 accesses a synchronousinput output (I/O) interface to request that the first page be moved tomemory, based on the first context. Finally, at block 640, a priority ofthe first hardware thread is reduced while the first page is being movedto memory.

The descriptions of the various embodiments of the present inventionhave been presented for purposes of illustration, but are not intendedto be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments disclosed. Manymodifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skillin the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the describedembodiments. The terminology used herein was chosen to best explain theprinciples of the embodiments, the practical application or technicalimprovement over technologies found in the marketplace, or to enableothers of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodimentsdisclosed herein.

In the preceding, reference is made to embodiments presented in thisdisclosure. However, the scope of the present disclosure is not limitedto specific described embodiments. Instead, any combination of thepreceding features and elements, whether related to differentembodiments or not, is contemplated to implement and practicecontemplated embodiments. Furthermore, although embodiments disclosedherein may achieve advantages over other possible solutions or over theprior art, whether or not a particular advantage is achieved by a givenembodiment is not limiting of the scope of the present disclosure. Thus,the preceding aspects, features, embodiments and advantages are merelyillustrative and are not considered elements or limitations of theappended claims except where explicitly recited in a claim(s). Likewise,reference to “the invention” shall not be construed as a generalizationof any inventive subject matter disclosed herein and shall not beconsidered to be an element or limitation of the appended claims exceptwhere explicitly recited in a claim(s).

Aspects of the present invention may take the form of an entirelyhardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment (includingfirmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) or an embodimentcombining software and hardware aspects that may all generally bereferred to herein as a “circuit,” “module” or “system.”

The present invention may be a system, a method, and/or a computerprogram product. The computer program product may include a computerreadable storage medium (or media) having computer readable programinstructions thereon for causing a processor to carry out aspects of thepresent invention.

The computer readable storage medium can be a tangible device that canretain and store instructions for use by an instruction executiondevice. The computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but isnot limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device,an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, asemiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of theforegoing. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of thecomputer readable storage medium includes the following: a portablecomputer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), aread-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROMor Flash memory), a static random access memory (SRAM), a portablecompact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD),a memory stick, a floppy disk, a mechanically encoded device such aspunch-cards or raised structures in a groove having instructionsrecorded thereon, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. Acomputer readable storage medium, as used herein, is not to be construedas being transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freelypropagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagatingthrough a waveguide or other transmission media (e.g., light pulsespassing through a fiber-optic cable), or electrical signals transmittedthrough a wire.

Computer readable program instructions described herein can bedownloaded to respective computing/processing devices from a computerreadable storage medium or to an external computer or external storagedevice via a network, for example, the Internet, a local area network, awide area network and/or a wireless network. The network may comprisecopper transmission cables, optical transmission fibers, wirelesstransmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers and/oredge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in eachcomputing/processing device receives computer readable programinstructions from the network and forwards the computer readable programinstructions for storage in a computer readable storage medium withinthe respective computing/processing device.

Computer readable program instructions for carrying out operations ofthe present invention may be assembler instructions,instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions,machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions,state-setting data, or either source code or object code written in anycombination of one or more programming languages, including an objectoriented programming language such as Smalltalk, C++ or the like, andconventional procedural programming languages, such as the “C”programming language or similar programming languages. The computerreadable program instructions may execute entirely on the user'scomputer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone softwarepackage, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computeror entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario,the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through anytype of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide areanetwork (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer(for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider).In some embodiments, electronic circuitry including, for example,programmable logic circuitry, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), orprogrammable logic arrays (PLA) may execute the computer readableprogram instructions by utilizing state information of the computerreadable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuitry,in order to perform aspects of the present invention.

Aspects of the present invention are described herein with reference toflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus(systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of theinvention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchartillustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in theflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented bycomputer readable program instructions.

These computer readable program instructions may be provided to aprocessor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, orother programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, suchthat the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computeror other programmable data processing apparatus, create means forimplementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks. These computer readable program instructionsmay also be stored in a computer readable storage medium that can directa computer, a programmable data processing apparatus, and/or otherdevices to function in a particular manner, such that the computerreadable storage medium having instructions stored therein comprises anarticle of manufacture including instructions which implement aspects ofthe function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram blockor blocks.

The computer readable program instructions may also be loaded onto acomputer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other deviceto cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer,other programmable apparatus or other device to produce a computerimplemented process, such that the instructions which execute on thecomputer, other programmable apparatus, or other device implement thefunctions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block orblocks.

The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate thearchitecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementationsof systems, methods, and computer program products according to variousembodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in theflowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portionof instructions, which comprises one or more executable instructions forimplementing the specified logical function(s). In some alternativeimplementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of theorder noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in successionmay, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks maysometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon thefunctionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of theblock diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocksin the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implementedby special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specifiedfunctions or acts or carry out combinations of special purpose hardwareand computer instructions.

Embodiments of the invention may be provided to end users through acloud computing infrastructure. Cloud computing generally refers to theprovision of scalable computing resources as a service over a network.More formally, cloud computing may be defined as a computing capabilitythat provides an abstraction between the computing resource and itsunderlying technical architecture (e.g., servers, storage, networks),enabling convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool ofconfigurable computing resources that can be rapidly provisioned andreleased with minimal management effort or service provider interaction.Thus, cloud computing allows a user to access virtual computingresources (e.g., storage, data, applications, and even completevirtualized computing systems) in “the cloud,” without regard for theunderlying physical systems (or locations of those systems) used toprovide the computing resources.

Typically, cloud computing resources are provided to a user on apay-per-use basis, where users are charged only for the computingresources actually used (e.g. an amount of storage space consumed by auser or a number of virtualized systems instantiated by the user). Auser can access any of the resources that reside in the cloud at anytime, and from anywhere across the Internet. In context of the presentinvention, a user may access various applications or related dataavailable in the cloud. Doing so allows a user to access thisinformation from any computing system attached to a network connected tothe cloud (e.g., the Internet). In order to improve the performance ofsuch cloud applications, the servers may utilize embodiments of thepresent disclosure to extend the memory of the devices. As discussedabove, this improves the functioning of the servers themselves, andfurther improves the performance of any applications operating on theservers, which in turn improves the services provided to users,customers, and clients of the cloud system.

While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present invention,other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised withoutdeparting from the basic scope thereof, and the scope thereof isdetermined by the claims that follow.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: opening a storage volume ona storage device attached to a computing system; configuring the storagevolume as extended memory; determining a number of hardware threadsavailable in the computing system; generating a number of contexts equalto the determined number of hardware threads; assigning each context toone of the hardware threads; determining that a first hardware threadhas requested a first page that has been paged to the storage volume,wherein the first hardware thread is assigned a first context; accessinga synchronous input output (I/O) interface to request that the firstpage be moved to memory, based on the first context; and while the firstpage is being moved to memory, reducing a priority of the first hardwarethread.
 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining that asecond page should be moved from memory to the storage volume, based ona request from a second hardware thread; accessing the synchronous I/Ointerface to request that the second page be moved to the storagevolume, based on a second context corresponding to the second hardwarethread; and while the second page is being moved to the storage volume,reducing a priority of the second hardware thread.
 3. The method ofclaim 2, wherein determining that the second page should be moved frommemory to the storage volume comprises determining that the secondhardware thread has requested access to a third page that is stored inthe storage volume.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein each respectivecontext includes a respective queue pair and a segment table.
 5. Themethod of claim 4, wherein moving the first page to memory is based atleast in part on the segment table.
 6. The method of claim 4, whereinthe segment table is generated upon opening of the storage volume, andwherein the segment table includes a mapping between virtual addressesand physical addresses in memory.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein thestorage device is attached via a coherent accelerator processorinterface (CAPI).
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring thestorage volume as extended memory comprises configuring the storagevolume to provide an optimized kernel interface.
 9. The method of claim8, wherein the optimized kernel interface does not include traditionalI/O functionality.
 10. A computer program product comprising: acomputer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program codeembodied therewith, the computer-readable program code executable by oneor more computer processors to perform an operation comprising: openinga storage volume on a storage device attached to a computing system;configuring the storage volume as extended memory; determining a numberof hardware threads available in the computing system; generating anumber of contexts equal to the determined number of hardware threads;assigning each context to one of the hardware threads; determining thata first hardware thread has requested a first page that has been pagedto the storage volume, wherein the first hardware thread is assigned afirst context; accessing a synchronous input output (I/O) interface torequest that the first page be moved to memory, based on the firstcontext; and while the first page is being moved to memory, reducing apriority of the first hardware thread.
 11. The computer program productof claim 10, the operation further comprising: determining that a secondpage should be moved from memory to the storage volume, based on arequest from a second hardware thread; accessing the synchronous I/Ointerface to request that the second page be moved to the storagevolume, based on a second context corresponding to the second hardwarethread; and while the second page is being moved to the storage volume,reducing a priority of the second hardware thread.
 12. The computerprogram product of claim 10, wherein each respective context includes arespective queue pair and a segment table, and wherein moving the firstpage to memory is based at least in part on the segment table.
 13. Thecomputer program product of claim 12, wherein the segment table isgenerated upon opening of the storage volume, and wherein the segmenttable includes a mapping between virtual addresses and physicaladdresses in memory.
 14. The computer program product of claim 10,wherein the storage device is attached via a coherent acceleratorprocessor interface (CAPI).
 15. The computer program product of claim10, wherein configuring the storage volume as extended memory comprisesconfiguring the storage volume to provide an optimized kernel interfacethat does not include traditional I/O functionality.
 16. A systemcomprising: one or more computer processors; and a memory containing aprogram which when executed by the one or more computer processorsperforms an operation, the operation comprising: opening a storagevolume on a storage device attached to a computing system; configuringthe storage volume as extended memory; determining a number of hardwarethreads available in the computing system; generating a number ofcontexts equal to the determined number of hardware threads; assigningeach context to one of the hardware threads; determining that a firsthardware thread has requested a first page that has been paged to thestorage volume, wherein the first hardware thread is assigned a firstcontext; accessing a synchronous input output (I/O) interface to requestthat the first page be moved to memory, based on the first context; andwhile the first page is being moved to memory, reducing a priority ofthe first hardware thread.
 17. The system of claim 16, the operationfurther comprising: determining that a second page should be moved frommemory to the storage volume, based on a request from a second hardwarethread; accessing the synchronous I/O interface to request that thesecond page be moved to the storage volume, based on a second contextcorresponding to the second hardware thread; and while the second pageis being moved to the storage volume, reducing a priority of the secondhardware thread.
 18. The system of claim 16, wherein each respectivecontext includes a respective queue pair and a segment table, andwherein moving the first page to memory is based at least in part on thesegment table.
 19. The system of claim 18, wherein the segment table isgenerated upon opening of the storage volume, wherein the segment tableincludes a mapping between virtual addresses and physical addresses inmemory.
 20. The system of claim 16, wherein the storage device isattached via a coherent accelerator processor interface (CAPI), andwherein configuring the storage volume as extended memory comprisesconfiguring the storage volume to provide an optimized kernel interfacethat does not include traditional I/O functionality.